Pump It Up: Exceed Bundle PS2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been playing DDR(Import versions) since it came out for PSOne and was sort of growing tire of it when I was getting to play PS2 versions(US versions)- then heard about "Pump It Up", which is suppose to be more popular than DDR in Asia, Europe, and South America regions- and decided to give it a try; and understood why it was more popular in other regions after few tries.

I definitely agree with other reviews that it feels more of dance moves than just stepping like DDR; Pump it Up added only one more step button in middle and changed '+' format of DDR into 'X' format instead. However, result is quite different because you gotta cover more space and extra step to fill in, resulting in dance-like movement and more rhythm to dance to.

Yes, I guess if you are THE veteran in DDR, you could probably do the headspin and 360 and all, but casual players like me felt more of dance movement because of the middle step button.It's only an extra stepping button yet it's like math where 2square (2x2)is 4 but 3square (3x3) is 9, exponentially giving more variation/freedom to the player.

I did some research when I decided to purchase this game and the feedbacks were overwhelmingly positive; one of my concerns was what if they give you this crappy dance pad since it's coming out at the end of PS2's life cycle??I did a direct comparison with DDR dance pad (one that came as a package with DDR Extreme, 3rd installment in PS2) and not only it has better surface feel to it (more of synthetic nylon feel instead of sorta 'sticky' plastic feel of DDR if you play in bare feet; I always had to wear socks to play DDR but don't need to do that with PIU) but most importantly it has more 'meat' to the dance pad, which is easier on your feet for a long playing time (I play about an hour- looking for a cardio workout??).

Like I said I'm a casual player, but I consider myself pretty good in DDR since I've been playing it for years...and could pretty much cover all the difficult levels in DDR... yet it was a different story with PUMP.May be I haven't gotten familiarized with the 'X' format quite yet, but it becomes way too hard if you are trying to finish even a 'hard' mode(ok, I just blew my cover as a 'pretty good' in DDR... hehe..but PUMP is objectively harder than DDR... try 'CRAZY' or 'NIGHTMARE' mode...you better be in a good shape).

I used to love DDR when it first came out... The idea was refreshing, and I could feel the effort of people involved in making DDR on every step I took on DDR dance pad- yet I feel recent versions have been more of rehash instead of 'evolutionary'; I don't really feel 'soul' in them anymore.

Well, if you are into DDR (or have grown tired of DDR these days)or looking for a dancing game (seriously, just play this sucker for an hour everyday and see what happens) then give Pump It Up a try because you will fall in love with it like I have.Last DDR game lasted only couple days...yeah...but PIU looks even more promising after two weeks of playing. It's probably because of various genre over more than 100 songs and creative background video for each one of them (I believe some of background videos are so cute like cartoons..even kids in elementary will love them).

Ok.. gotta go now for another round of PUMP IT UP...I'm out of shape

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Dance Dance Revolution Konamix Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best all around games you can find on any console.Dance Dance Revolution is an arcade dancing simulation game that is lots of fun for the entire family, has great replay value (you can play for hours on end), and is a great workout to boot!
DDR Konamix is the 3rd game that Konami has put out for DDR in the US and it is by far the best.It has over 50 songs, some of which are brand new for the US only.Most of the songs are japanese pop music, but they're very catchy and there's a lot of variety between fast and slow dance music.
The most important thing you must remember is to get the dance pad accessory with this game.You can play with the regular controller, but playing with the dance pad is the only way to really enjoy this game.Be sure to stick with dance pads from Konami or RedOctane as those are the only decent brands available.

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Product Description:
Get ready to dance the night away with all-new songs and game modes in this sequel to Dance Dance Revolution. Players can save and edit dance steps to create their own dance routines. The special workout mode allows you to have fun shaping up while also tracking the calories you burn. And you can re-create the arcade experience with Konami's Dance Dance Revolution controller. The game includes more than 50 high-energy songs in a variety of genres, including pop, disco, Latin, techno, and house. It also features a completely redesigned interface and new graphics, plus a special edit mode that allows players to customize dance steps for every song, develop player-specific routines, and trade dance patterns with friends. Also included are new songs never released in the Japanese version. Burn up the dance floor with two-player modes, allowing players to dance cooperatively or competitively. Multiple options and difficulty settings make Dance Dance Revolution Konamix easy to learn for people of all ages.

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Dance Dance Revolution Max 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Go to your local arcade and the game with the crowd around it will be Dance Dance Revolution.The arcade game, which was wildly popular in Japan first and is now becoming so in the U.S., is up to its 8th version in the arcades, and even more than that on Japanese consoles.Meanwhile, this is only the fourth DDR game released in the U.S.
Fortunately, it's the best so far.There are quite a few songs NOT taken from the DDR arcade games that most people will recognize, such as Days Go By from the Mitsubishi commercials, Heaven, Get Down Tonight, etc.Some may be disappointed that the difficulty of these new songs is not great, even on the hardest levels.But they're fun and sound great, and one of them (A Little Bit of Ecstacy) has a tricky tempo change.
There are a lot of old favorites here that arcade players will recognize:Burning Heat (remake of a song from an old Nintendo version of Gradius), Maxx Unlimited (one of the hardest songs ever), Kakumei (based on the classical Chopin piece "Revolutionary Etude"), Let's Groove, Twilight Zone (the jock-jam anthem), So Deep (so hard), and a couple of Captain Jack songs.
New to this mix is the Nonstop Mode, which lets you play predetermined or random sets of songs with no pauses in between.Also new is actual videos behind the arrows in several songs, and the dancing characters and Endless Mode (dance 'til you lose) are back from previous mixes.
Some have complained about songs repeated from other U.S. versions.Yes, it's annoying.I'm dealing with it.Hopefully next time, we'll get all new songs.
If you want to take this game seriously, I recommend you research and buy a metal dance pad from eBay or Red Octane.Soft pads (available at stores) will work for the less, er, intense players.
One more note, I have been using this game as my workout regime for the last year.Benefits I've noticed so far have included increased stamina and lung capacity and stronger calf muscles.I've played almost every day since August 2002 and I'm not even close to tired or bored of it. In fact I own only three games for my PlayStation 2:this, another DDR game, and a third game I've played only once.
Unlimited replay value, fitness benefits and great fun: you can't lose.Buy it now.

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Product Description:
MODEL- 20061VENDOR- KONAMI FEATURES- DDRMAX 2 Dance Dance Revolution The dance revolution rolls on with DDRMAX2 for Sony PlayStation 2 packed with the ultimate mix of hit American songs. Gamers will beup on their feet and dancing all night long with new game modes andthe return of past favorites including "Work Out" mode and "Edit" mode where gamers can count calories and customize dance moves and routines. * DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution Partial Song List (Not including HiddenSongs): "A Little Bit Of Ecstasy" - Jocelyn Enriquez "AM-3P" - KTz "Break Down!" - Be For U "Busy Child" - The Crystal Method "Celebrate Nite" - N.M.R "Conga Feeling" - Vivian "D2R" - Naoki "Days Go By" - Dirty Vegas "Destiny" - Naoki feat. Paula Terry "Do It Right" - Sota feat. Ebony Fay* New game modes and graphical interface featuring music videos* Customize dance steps in Edit mode and exercise in Work Out mode* Links with previous games for special features -- SPECIFICATIONs -------------ESRB Rating : E for EveryoneGenre/Category: FamilySystem: PlayStation 2 SystemNumber of Players : 1 Compatible Peripherals:

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In The Groove Review

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(More customer reviews)From a business-ethics standpoint, I should hate this game.Roxor Games, the developer, took the concept of Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and copied it almost pixel for pixel to make In the Groove - even using the DDR cabinets in the arcade for its game (that stupid move got the company slammed with a lawsuit).

But in a way, Konami asked for it.Though DDR is dead in Japan, it continues to grow in popularity in the U.S., and Konami has not addressed that fact.It has not released a new arcade version since 2002.

This left the hardcore DDR fans clamoring for more, and Roxor Games stepped in, creating an arcade game by and for the hardcore players. Personally, I'm glad they did, because it revived a dying DDR fan base.

Now we have the nearly identical home version of that arcade game, and though it's not flawless, it's definitely a step up from the DDR home releases, which target the casual player.

You'll be lucky if you recognize one or two of the songs on In the Groove's songlist - but as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.Who wants to play video games to the same old junk that's on the radio?Most of the songs in In the Groove are interesting, diverse and highly listenable, and I plan on buying the soundtrack CD as soon as it's available.

The graphics are noticably crisper than DDR's, though the videos in the background are nondescript.Not a big deal, though.

The difficulty is where some casual fans may run into problems.This game is a step up in difficulty from any available version of DDR anywhere, and even the easier songs tend to be harder than easy DDR songs.The hardest songs, most players will find impossible, even the top players, especially without the arcade bar to lean on.

The addition of "hands" (three or four arrows at once) and "mines" (which force you to avoid certain arrows) are welcome gameplay features, and the first real innovation in the genre since DDR's 6th mix introduced the freeze arrow.In the Groove has about four times as many "mods" (ways to change the appearance and scrolling of the arrows) as any DDR game, but most of them are pointless, and I never use them.

In the Groove offers a marathon mode, pretty much identical to Nonstop mode in DDR, except random mods turn on and off during your game.I never liked nonstop and I'll probably never play marathon courses, but some like them.

A plus for ITG is that it's a statistician's dream, presenting you with all kinds of numbers and charts after each song to show your progress.This is opposed to DDR's nebulous scoring system that makes no sense and is never explained in any game.

In the Groove has a few glaring flaws in programming, unlike the DDR games.For one, load times are absurdly long... up to 10 seconds between screens sometimes.If DDR can get away with NO loading time, even for songs with full-motion video, I don't understand why this load time is necessary.

Also, once in a while, the frame rate will skip a bit during songs... very distracting.Not much thought was given to the practice mode, and it's quite difficult to figure out which buttons do what, and to find the menu you want.

But those who are losing satisfaction in DDR will not care.If Konami ever decides to create a new arcade mix, they are going to have to work very hard to top the innovations that In the Groove has brought to the genre.

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Product Description:
In the Groove is an interactive dance that really pushes your dance gaming skills. Based on the hit arcade games, this one has all-new moves and challenges. Earn points and improve your skills to become the best dancer and customize moves to hold on to your title. Keep in shape in Fitness Mode -Develop an exercise routine & track the calories you burnFeatures over 70 songs not featured in the arcade version, with original songs

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Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm an enormous fan of Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series, and play the game almost every day of my life.The concept is so simpe - just hit the arrows once they're at the top of the screen, yet once you get going, it's a lot more addicting than you'd expect.What's incredible though, is that doing this for a long enough time can burn up some calories and tone up your calves.It was life-changing experience for me that out of nowhere got me from being lazy to athletic.It's getting bigger and bigger every day in the US, but too bad it still isn't as appreciated as it should be, thanks to monster franchises such as GTA and Halo.

DDR Extreme 2 is the sixth installment that Konami has released in the United States (seven if you count the Disney Mix), and it's by far the best one, and it proves to be a great comeback after the largely disappointing Extreme US (although that game is still the recommended one for beginners).

Hardcore fans of DDR will be most pleased to see not just the menu interface returned to normal (with the songwheel, groove radar, etc., that were removed for DDR Extreme US), but also a significantly better list of selectable songs.Such classics as "Cartoon Heroes", "Sakura", "Colors (For Extreme)", and a whole lot more, all made the cut and should not disappoint any true long-time lover of the series.By the way, instead of "Max Dot", the "boss song" in Extreme 2 is "PARANOiA Survivor Max" (which is acompanied by the original "PARANOiA Survivor").Also worth mentioning is that US players finally get a taste of the popular song "Butterfly" with the upswing remix as well as "Boom Boom Dollar (K.O.G. G3 Mix)", also an old favorite.The selection of songs that everyone will recognize is also chosen much more cleverly.Instead of a bunch of songs from like 25 years ago like "Kids in America" and "Like a Virgin", we get some recent electronica/dance hits from the likes of Sean Paul ("Get Busy"), Fatboy Slim ("Wonderful Night"), Delerium ("Silence"), and more, although I don't understand what a horrible cover of "Oops I Did it Again" (not the one from 5th Mix AC) is doing on here (it's not the year 2000, Konami, and almost nobody even cares about songs like that anymore).The choices for repeats from older DDR games is also great.One big problem that Extreme US had was that it overrepeated stuff that already made appearances, which hogged up a lot of room for better stuff.This time, there are less than ten repeats, and almost all of them are from PS1 editions, which gives a chance for old fans of those songs to play them with much better graphics and a much better scoring system.I must admit, playing songs like "Dive", "Dynamite Rave", and "PARANOiA" is much more enjoyable to do on Extreme 2 than it was on Konamix with that slow transmission and poor scoring system.

Also worth noting are a few new features.Instead of simply playing songs over and over again to unlock new ones, you need to clear different stages in the all-new Dance Master Mode.Replacing Extreme US's Mission Mode, Dance Master Mode is loaded with several different scenarios with certain songs and a certain task to clear in order to advance to new stages.Along the way, you'll discover some unfamiliar songs on areas and must clear them.If you do that, they'll appear in the shop for you to buy with your credits (received for clearing songs, DMM or not).This is a wise strategy that adds a plot to the game and allows players to choose which songs they want at the same time.

Another addition is the Online Mode.This will allow players from around the world to go head to head with one another online, and yes, I'm sure that the population of onliners almost entirely made up of the masters that can receive an AAA on "PARANOiA Survivor Max Oni" with relative ease, but this is still a great way for those people to go seriously competitive without having to enter a tournament.

There were only a few noticable flaws.One is that the Training Mode was made less intuitive, as it takes a longer time to set up your song, although I am pleased to see that Konami brought back the feature of slowing down difficult songs to practice.The Party Mode (a feature that was full of many different mini games) has been entirely removed from DDR, and while I won't cry about that, the usage of the Eye Toy Camera is much lower, as the only time you actually use it is when you are playing the Hands and Feet Mode.One more thing, "Love Love Shine", one of DDR Extreme AC's most frequently selected songs (also one of my favorites), did not make the cut, but the similar "Candy*Heart*" is on, which also symbols that "Love Love Shine" is practically guaranteed to be on next year's installment.

With all things said, DDR Extreme 2 is easilly the best overall home version that the US can get their hands on so far.With an excellent song list, great new features, and excellent graphics, this game is a true winner.If you were unhappy with DDR Extreme US from 2004, you won't be with this, so buy it now if you're interested at all and start dancing the night away!

Two more words of advice:

1. I know that I said that DDR Extreme US was a disappoint among many people, but I also said that it was great for hooking new players.I highly recommend you to buy that game first, and then get this.Trust me - the layout is much friendlier to beginners.

2. If you are a novice player, stick with the plastic pads available in the stores (since they're easy to use and don't cost much), but be sure to use the metal arcade-style mats that can be ordered online if you're an expert (they're harder to get used to, but are more sensitive than soft pads and don't slide around to heavy usage).I recommend the ones from Cobalt Flux because they've held together for months and work marvelously.

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Product Description:
DDR's newest best seller, Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2, has EyeToy USB Camera so you can compete head-to-head with others from around the world. Featuring popular artists, smash hit songs and more unique modes, DDR Extreme 2 pumps up the volume with over 100 minutes of energetic dance music.Get in shape with the popular Workout Mode Customize your own dance steps in the Edit Mode All movies and cutscenes are newly created adding fresh flair to the DDR universe

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Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, I think this game is great.It's also a great price for the game and an action pad, while most new games cost the same price for the game only.

One of the biggest complaints I read is that the game is too easy.I don't think the game is too easy.The easy level is great for first time DDR players.Also, what I'm sure many people don't realize is that there is a "Super Hard" level above the "Very Hard" level.However to be able to play a song in "Super Hard," you have to play the corresponding "Very Hard" level in Free Mode and get a decent score to be able to unlock the "Super Hard" mode for that song.

Another complaint that I read is that you have to unlock all of the songs.It's very easy to unlock all of the songs, even for a new player.All you have to do is play through the entire story mode once (it can be in easy mode), and also get 4 extra songs at the in-game shops (this can also be done easily in easy mode if you keep repeating the mini games to get a lot of coins).

One thing I do not like is the Mush Mode items (however, you can turn Mush Mode off when playing in Free Mode).Mush Mode makes strange Mario related items come up on the screen, and you have to press the corresponding arrow.I don't like this because sometimes the items are hard to notice against the constant moving background.I also don't like how they force you to read through the story and watch the animation to be able to move on to the next level (in Story Mode).This isn't that big of a deal though.I also wish it was easier and cheaper to get a second action pad.Overall, this is a great game, and I would purchase a sequel if they came out with one.

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Product Description:
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix lets you boogie down with Mario in his own dance party! Someone has stolen the Music Keys and released the music they held. Mario must recover the keys before the unstable power of music destroys the entire Mushroom Kingdom! The path to the keys is simple: Dance your way to them!

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